Pleasure-railway.



No. 674,750. Patented May 2|, l90l.

H. B. WALTER.

PLEASURE RAILWAY. (Application filed Sept. 12, 1900.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 674,750. Patentd May 21, l90l. H. B. WALTER.

PLEASURE RAILWAY.

(Application filed Sept. 12, 1900.) v (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 674,750. Patented May 2|, I90I.

H. B. WALTER.

PLEASURE RAILWAY.

(Application filed Sept. 12, 1900.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

' WITNESSES m: Noam PETERS ca. PNDI0-LlTHD.. WASHINGTON, n. c..

No. 674,750. Patented May 2|, |90|. H. B. WALTER.

PLEASURE RAILWAY.

(Application filed Sept 12, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

any. a 3 5/ THE ucnms PETERS co momumo wnsmumon. a c.

HARRISON B. WALTER, OF DANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

PLEAS U RE- RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,750, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed September 12, 1900. Serial No. 29,782. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HARRISON B. WALTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pleasure-Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pleasure-railways; and the objects of the same are to provide an amusement device of this character which shall be safe, enjoyable, and exciting, which shall be simple in construction and comparatively inexpensive to erect, and which will be designed to give the passengers novel and delightful sensations in their trip over the route.

lVith these ends in view my invention comprises an overhead track having a series of curves, inclines, and drops, and a suspended car having wheels which run on the track, said oar traveling from end to end of the track by gravity.

The objects of my invention are attained by means of the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the station and a side elevation of a portion of the railway system. Fig. l is a side elevation of a portion of the railway and showing a continuation of the system from the right-hand end of Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view of that portion of my invention shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a plan View of that portion of my invention shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a side elevation of the complete railway system. Fig. 4 is an end elevation and partial section of the framework. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the car. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the trolley or supporting wheels of the car.

Like numerals of reference designate like parts wherever they occur in the different views.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 1 designates an engine-house at the main station, and 2 is an elevator connected by a cable 3 to the engine. The ticket-office 4 is located at the front of the steps 5, which lead up to railing 7 is a ticket-box 9, and from this point the passengers may turn to the right and pass the turnstile 10 and ascend the steps 11 to a promenade 12, or the passengers may pass to .the left through door 13, along the passageway 14, down the steps 15, and into the elevator 2, there being a door in each side of said elevator for admission of passengers. A fence '16 incloses the entire railway system. The upper track 17 leads from the upper portion of the elevator out through one of the doors and gradually inclines for a portion of its length, as shown in Fig. 1. The rails 18 of said track are secured on top of the longitudinal girders 19, firmly secured to the inner sides of the uprights 20, rising from the ground and rigidly anchored below. This upper track extends in a straight line from the elevator to the right-hand end of Fig. l, where a vertical curve or drop 21 is formed in the track. As shown, this curve or drop is formed of two curved tracks-a first track 22, which is curved over, down, and back, and a second track 21, which runs parallel to said first track and faces it. This track 22 continues with the curve 23. From this point the track 17 forms a gradual curve which merges into the inclination 24, and near the upper end of this inclination 24 a weighted switch 25 is provided, which is designed to be normally open and to be closed automatically by the car as it passes over the frog 25, the switch being only a pivoted bridge out of balance. Then the car runs up the inclination 24 until its momentum is exhausted and then starts to run back, dropping through the opening 26 and carrying the car around the curve 27, formed in a manner similar to drop 21 and leadingonto the return track 28, which extends to the main station.

At the terminal end of the line an endless belt 29 is provided for moving the car along into the elevator. This endless belt passes around pulleys 30, and the belt has a series of flights 31, which engage the cross-rod 36, upon which the car is pivoted. A crank may be provided for moving the belt 29 to thus carry the car into the elevator.

The car shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is suspended from a four-wheeled trolley or truck which runs upon the rails 18. The wheels 32 may be grooved to fit the track, and each pair of said wheels are connected by frames 33, and the stub-shafts 34 of said wheelsare journaled in said frames 33. A spacing-block 35 is secured between the side members of the frames 33 centrally by bolts 35. A transverse rod 36 passes through the frames 33 and the spacing-blocks 35 and is secured in place by end nuts 37. The car may have two seats 38, arranged back to back, as shown in Fig. 5, and said seats may be of sufficient length to accommodate four persons each, if desired. The end arms or guards 39 are bolted to the seats 38, and back-boards 4O connect the arms 39 of each seat. A foot-rest 41 is provided, said foot-rest consisting of the boards 42 bolted to the metal straps 43, said straps extending from the central hanger 44, to which they are bolted at 45, down under the seats and down and outward where they are bolted at 46 to the upright braces 47. Metal braces 48 are bolted to the upper ends of the braces 47, and their opposite ends are bolted to the inclined hangers 49. The seats are held in a backwardlyinclined position relatively to each other by the braces 50, bolted under the seats and at their ends back of the foot-rests. The upper ends of the hangers 44 and 49 are bolted between the two arms of a yoke 51, and the yoke 51 passes around the transverse rod 36 in a manner to permit the car to swing relatively to the trolley or truck.

The promenade 12 may consist of a board walk provided with guard-railings 52, and these boards may be extended beyond the railings under the tracks, as at 53, to provide means for catching the car in case of accident to the truck or trolley.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The car is suspended from the overhead tracks 18, and short sections of the rails extend into the elevator, so that the cars may be run into said elevator. When the passengers take their seats in the car, the short sections of track in the elevator are raised, carrying the car until said sections are brought up in line with the upper track 17, at which time the inclination of said track carries the car out of the elevator and down the incline of track 17. When the car reaches the drop 21, the truck or trolley turns around the curve, the car always retaining an upright position, and as it proceeds it passes down the curve and up the incline 24. As the car passes the frog 25 said frog is raised by its weight to form the opening 26, and as the car returns from the short section 26 it drops through the opening 26 and proceeds to the terminus, where the passengers alight.

Having thus fully described myinvention,

what I claim is- 1. In a pleasure-railway, a main station, an inclined track leading from said station, a vertical curve in said track, a second track placed parallel to the curve in the inclined track, an upwardly -inclined portion in said second track, a switch at the top of said inclined portion, and a third track provided with a vertical curve and an inclined portion leading back to said main station, substantially as described.

2. In a pleasure railway, a verticallycurved track,an inclined portion leading from the curve in said track, a weighted, normally open frog pivoted to said track at the top of said incline, in combination with a car suspended from the track and adapted to depress the frog and close the opening by the weight of the car while going in one direction, and to permit the frog to open by its weight after the car has passed it, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRISON B. WALTER.

Witnesses:

LOUIS PLATT, O. O. HOLE. 

